Pretzel stick vending machine



R. E. DRACHENBERG PRETZEL STICK VENDING MACHINE Filed Febfze, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H0 me}.

1938- R. E. DRACHENBE-RG I $139,386

PRETZEL STICK VENDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I //V V [N TO?! Patented Dec. 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in the art of vending articles of merchandise but has special reference to pretzel sticks, and provides a specially designed unit that is coordinated with 5, a certain mechanism of the vending machine whereby, upon depositing a coin in the machine, followed by a simple operation thereof, pretzel sticks will be discharged individually from the machine.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine of this class which will be simple in structure, economical of manufacture, durable and highly efficient in use.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine so arranged and constructed that a plurality of pretzel sticks may be wound in a pack, each layer of pretzel sticks being separated from the other by a layer of winding material.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a core floatingly mounted and about which a plurality of pretzel sticks may be spirally wound with a mechanism cooperating therewith so as to retain the discharge portion of the pack located adjacent the outlet opening.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by a reference to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which,

Fig. 1 is a front, elevational View of a machine embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear, elevational view with the'rear 'cover removed and parts broken away and parts shown in section.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 4 is a slightly enlarged longitudinal, central, sectional View of the reel supporting core.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, rear, elevational view showing a part of the mechanism with parts broken away and parts shown in section.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating the working mechanism in a different position.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 'I-'I of Fig. 3.

Fig. 8 is a rear, elevational View of one of the 50 cam members used in the invention.

Fig. 9 is a side, elevational view of the cam member illustrated in Fig. 8.

Experience has shown that pretzel sticks are quite suitable for being dispensed in vending 5 machines because, due to their size and shape, a

maximum number may be packed in a given space. When laid cross-wise on a paper ribbon and wound so as to form a spiral reel, the pretzel stick may be fed outwardly upon winding the reel on a suitable core and the pretzels may thus be individually dispensed.

The invention comprises a supporting plate I8 having a window [8A formed therein. This plate I8 rests-upon suitable supporting legs 58C and is provided on its forward face with a housing I22 having an opening in its forward face adjacent one corner closed with a swingable closure 53.

Mounted on the rear face of the plate I8 is a cup-shaped housing or drum 8 projecting outwardly from which are lugs 9' through which bolts 9 may be projected and secured, said bolts 9 projecting from plate I8. The interior of this drum is visible through the window I8A and positioned within the drum are retained the pretzels A which are to be dispensed. These pretzels are elongated sticks and are spirally wound upon a sleeve lA to which one end of the ribbon or belt I is attached. In order to assemble the pretzels in position shown in Fig. 2, the sleeve IA is removed from its mountings within the drum or housing 8 and the ribbon I is stretched out flat; The pretzels are then laid upon this ribbon extending transversely thereof in close relation to each other and when so positioned, the sleeve IA may then be rolled over the ribbon of pretzels so that the pretzels are wound spirally on the sleeve, each roll of pretzels being separated from the superimposed roll by the ribbon itself. In actual practice, the pretzels would customarily be mounted on the sleeve in this condition when sold by the baker so that the pretzels would be delivered to the place of dispensing ready for insertion into the machine.

When in the machine, the sleeve IA would be mounted upon the core 2 illustrated in Fig. 4. The sleeve IA snugly embraces the core 2 and the core 2 may rotate on the shaft 3 but the frictional contact between the sleeve IA and the core 2 is such as to normally prevent relative rotation of these parts. This core is provided at one end with an inwardly projecting recess 4 in which is fitted a spring 5 engaging at one end the inner end of the recess 4 and at its outer end the inner face of a plate 6 through which the shaft 3 is projected and which is secured on the shaft 3 by means of the cotter pin '5. The shaft 3 is projected through an arm I2 and upset thereover at one end as at l 3. The spring 5 serves to maintain the core 2 pressed into engagement with the face of the arm I2 so as to yieldably resist rotation of the core 2 on the shaft 3. The lower end of the arm I2, as clearly appears in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, is fixedly mounted on the shaft I 4 which projects through the rear wall of the drum or housing 8. Fixedly mounted on the shaft I4 at one end and projecting downwardly therefrom is a rocker arm II to the free end of which is attached one end of a spring I6, the opposite end of said spring I6 being attached to an eyelet I! projecting outwardly from the drum 8. Consequently, the spiral roll of pretzels is swingable mounted within the drum 8 and the spring I6 has a tendency to maintain the arm:

A slot I23 is formed in the drum 8 and adjacent this slot is mounted a-roller 59 rotating on a shaft 5|. The ribbon l winds over the roller 50 and thence downwardly rearwardly of the roller 50 so that as the ribbon I is unwound around the roller 55, the pretzels will be, individually, dropped into the chute 52 where they will be accessible through the, opening closed by the swingable closure 53. It has been stated that one end of the ribbon I is secured to the sleeve IA and the ribbon after being led around the roller 50 is then passed around a roller 21 and connected at its free end 25 to a roller 26. The ribbon I is wound upon the roller 26 as it is unwound from the sleeve IA. Consequently, in order to deposit pretzels in the chute 52, it is but necessary to wind the roller 26 in a clockwise direction as viewed from Fig. 5. The roller 26 is mounted upon the shaft 43, this shaft projecting centrally through the roller 26 and through a pocket 39 formed in one end thereof, as shown in Fig. 3. Positioned in this pocket is a spring 4!} engaging at its outer end the plate 4| which is mounted on the shaft 43 and secured thereto by the cotter pin 42'. The shaft 43 is rotatably mounted in the bearing 44 which projects inwardly from the inner face of the plate it. Mounted on the shaft 43 is a pinion 38 which meshes with the pinion 31 rotatably mounted on the shaft 29. This shaft 29 extends through the plate I8. The shaft 29 projects through the roller 2'? which is rotatable thereon and which is secured to the gear 37 so as to rotate in unison therewith by means of the screw 51. Extending inwardly from the plate I8 is a rod 24C on which is rockably mounted a presser plate 24A adapted to engage the ribbon and press the same into firm contact with the roller 21, as clearly appears in Fig. 6 and Fig. 3. This presser plate24A is normally held in pressing position by means of the coil spring 243 which is positioned on the rod 22C and connected at one end to the hub or bearing 25D which is carried by the plate I8. Mounted on the outer end of the shaft 29 is a handle 28 whereby the shaft 29 may be rotated, the direction of rotation being indicated by the arrow in' Fig. 1.

The periphery of the roller 21 is provided with suitable dressing to prevent slippage of the ribbon I thereover. The mounting of the roller 26 is such that the spring 49 serves to normally retain the roller '26 in engagement with the face of the gear 33, this frictional contact being normally sumcient to effect a rotation of the roller 26 when the gear 38 is rotated, while at the same time permitting slippage when the diameter of the ribbon wound on the roller 26 increases.

Fixedly mounted on the shaft 29 is a cam 34 having the shoulders 33, 34B and 34C formed thereon. Projecting outwardly from one face of the cam 34 is the flange 3 1A and projecting outwardly from the opposite face is a spring arm or dog 35. This arm or dog 35 is adapted to contact the teeth on the gear 37. Mounted at one end on a block 3'lB is a spring arm 31A which is adapted to ride over the teeth of the gear 31 as it is rotated in one direction and prevent the rotation in the opposite direction, the gear 31 being rotatable in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 5. The cam 34 is fixedly mounted on the shaft 29 by means of the diametrically extending pin 56 extended through the hub of the cam 34 and through the shaft 29, as clearly appears in Fig. l.

I have illustrated the invention as being coin operated and the coin which may be deposited in the opening 22 of the housing I22 will pass downwardly'through the chute 23 to the position of the dotted line B in Fig. 5 so as to rest upon the hub 24, said hub 24 being integral with the plate I8. When the coin is in this position, the machine is ready for operation and the handle 28 may be rocked in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 1 until it strikes a stop. Upon rocking the handle 28 in this direction, the cam 34 will be rocked in the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig. 5. The flanged portion 34A of the cam 34 will engage the coin and force it to the left of the drawing shown in Fig. 5 so as to rock upwardly the dog 30 which is rockably mounted on the shaft 3! and projecting outwardly from which is the-link 30 connected to which is one end of a spring 32, the other end being connected to the plate I 8. Consequently, the coin in rocking the dog 35 upwardly, will do so against the tension of the spring 32. This dog 30 will be retained in its upwardly rocked position until the shoulder 33 has cleared the end of the dog 3!]. It is believed obvious that were the coin not present the end of the dog 39 would engage the shoulder 33 and prevent the rotative movement of the cam 34' so that the machine could not be operated without the presence of a coin in the proper location. Asthe cam 34 is rotated, the roller 2'! will.

be rotated to unwind from the sleeve IA a predetermined amount of ribbon or belt I so that in this predetermined travel of the belt or ribbon, a predetermined number of pretzels A will be deposited in the chute 52.

As shown in Fig. 6, this movement continues until the shoulder 34B is brought into contact with the lug or stop 45 which is mounted on and projecting inwardly from the plate I8. At the same time, the pawl 35 will engage the teeth of the gear 31 and cause it to rotate in the( same direction, thus, effecting a rotation of the gear 38 so as to wind upon the roller 26 that portion of the ribbon I which has been unwound from the sleeve IA by the roller 21. When the rotation has reached that point where the shoulder 34B meets the stop or lug 45, the rotative pressure on the handle 28 will be released thereupon. A reverse rotation of the shaft 29 and the cam 34 will be effected by the spring 46 which is attached at one end to the stud 41 projecting outwardly from the lug 48, shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, and which is attached at its opposite end by the screw 19 to the cam 34. This spring will effect the reverse rotation until the shoulder 34C engages the lug or stop 45.

A rear cover 54 is detachably mounted on the plate It by means of the bolt 55 and a lock IBB.

When the spiral roll of pretzels is inserted in postion and the free end of the ribbon or belt I is connected to the roller 26, the roller 26 may be manually rotated until the belt or ribbon l is stretched taut. The rear cover may then be placed in position and the device will be ready for operation as the machine itself will maintain the belt stretched taut at all times during the operation. It is believed obvious that as the pretzels are fed outwardly and the spiral roll is reduced in diameter, the arm l2 will swing to the right to maintan the spiral roll of pretzels always in position for feeding outwardly.

In this way I have provided a structure whereby pretzel sticks may be individually dispensed from a dispensing device while freedom from breakage is obtained and the pretzels may be maintained always in a sanitary condition.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details of structure shown but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described'my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a vending machine of the class described, a housing; a rockable shaft projecting through one wall of said housing; a supporting arm fixedly mounted at one end on the inner end of said shaft and projecting therefrom radially of said housing; a rocker arm fixedly mounted at one end at the outer end of said shaft; a spring fixed at one end and connected at its opposite end to the other end of said rocker arm for normally tending to rock said shaft in one direction; a core connected to the other end of said supporting arm and rotatable; a winding reel mounted concentrically on said core and rotatable about the axis of said core; a flexible member wound on said core, and being positioned between each layer of said flexible member a layer of separable articles to be dispensed; winding means for winding said flexible member thereon upon the unwinding of said flexible member from said reel, the winding of said flexible member on said winding means effecting a discharge of said separable members. v

2. In a vending machine of the class described, a housing; a rockable shaft projecting through one wall of said housing; a supporting arm fixedly core, said housing having an outlet opening formed therein; a flexible member wound on said core, and being positioned between each layer of said flexible member a layer of separable articles to be dispensed; a roller mounted in said housing and positioned adjacent said outlet opening, said flexible member being positioned around said roller; winding means for winding said flexible member thereon upon the unwinding of said flexible member from said reel, said roller being positioned between said Winding means and said reel, the winding of said flexible member on said winding means effecting a discharge of said separable articles through said outlet opening, said roller being positioned between said winding means and said reel; and resilient means cooperating with said rocker arm for normally maintaining said supporting arm rocked to a position for retaining the outermost layer of said flexible member, wound on said. layer in contact with said roller.

3. In a vending machine of the class described, a housing; a rockable shaft projecting through one wall of said housing; a supporting arm fixedly mounted on one end of the inner end of said shaft and projecting radially of said housing; a rocker arm fixedly mounted at one end at the outer end of said shaft; a core rotatably mounted on the other end of said supporting arm and positioned within said housing; a winding reel mounted on said core and rotatable about the axis of said core, said housing having an outlet opening formed therein; a flexible member wound on said core, and being positioned between each layer of said flexible member a layer of separable articles to be dispensed; a roller mounted in said housing and positioned adjacent said outlet opening, said flexible member being positioned around said roller; winding means for winding said flexible member thereon upon the unwinding of said flexible member from said reel, said roller being positioned between said winding means and said reel, the winding of said flexible member on said winding means effecting a discharge of said separable articles through said outlet opening, said roller being positioned between said winding means and said reel; resilient means cooperating with said rocker arm for normally maintaining said supporting arm rocked to a position for retaining the outermost layer of said flexible member, wound on said layer in contact with said roller; a discharge chute projecting downwardly from said outlet opening; and control means for controlling the operation of said winding means.

RICHARD E. DRACI-IENBERG. 

